May 2006 Archives
Jesse: So, I'm at this professional photography studio helping create a new MBA pamphlet.
Jesse: I think I can now officially call myself a hand model.
Me: "Cause I'm a hand model, mama! A finger jockey. We don't think the same way as the face and body boys do..."
Life would be a lot less entertaining if there weren't movie or tv references for most every situation, hehe.
Why is fire so fascinating?
Sitting around a campfire talking, telling stories, laughing, eating smores or conjuring up new ways to cook food with a camp fire-- it's got to be one of the oldest forms of recreation, and yet we still love to do it. We go up into the canyon and escape, even for a little bit, the rest of the world and enjoy nature. Instead of movies or TV or Internet, we take pleasure in the cool, clean, crisp air, the sound of a stream or river nearby, the stars that are only visible from outside the city, the natural warmth of a fire... I'm glad such conditions are so easily accessible here.
Some of the siblings wanted to go have a bonfire as one last activity last night, before Kato goes into the MTC on the 24th (tomorrow!). More at the crazy pills blog...
I was flipping through digg.com (a sorta tech news blog) when I came upon a link to an article about how students at BYU had created a remote conctolled ornithopter. I'm usually curious to see what the reaction is when someone mentions a church school like that, so I read through some of the comments on digg for that article. Though inevitably people take shots at Mormons, this comment made me laugh:
"I used to knock Mormons until I found out that they gave us In-N-Out Burger. As far as I'm concerned, they can do whatever they want now."
Hehehe... I'm sure there's no truth to there being a link between In-n-Out and Mormons, but it makes me laugh nonetheless. All bow to the almighty In-N-Out!
Are there really scriptures on the bottom of their cups and bags? I've never noticed.
I had a realization while I was in Hawaii this past week. That was
that my trips to Hawaii have been incredibly rejuvenating, relaxing,
and therapeutic. Therapeutic for the soul, even. While there, I am
in such a different environment than I am typically used to, and
besides being different, the environment is soothing-- the blue-green
ocean with it's crashing waves, the clear blue sky, the lush green
landscape, the warmth of coral sand, blooming tropical flora, magical
sunsets, the list goes on. Even overcast skies have their own beauty
in Hawaii, it seems.
Having some distance from normal life in such an environment-- one
where it's so easy to be close to nature-- seems to allow me to step
back, refocus, mediate, and relax. Perhaps I can learn to do this (at
least partially) without having to fly several thousand miles or
without taking two weeks off of work, but all I can say is that it was
worth it. For one who used to view vacations / travel as a waste of
money when so many toys could be had for the same money, it's a minor
miracle for me to say something like that =)
On the trip back, I didn't dread returning to work, I didn't feel like
the vacation passed too quickly or left me wanting. Instead I feel
satisfied, relaxed, and a bit more balanced than before (and maybe a
little tan, hehe). The trip was, for me, a perfect combination of fun
and relaxation.
Hawaii may not be the only place one can experience such rejuvenation,
but I think I understand now why some of my sisters would call it
their "happy place". I do plan to do a write-up of the trip and post
more pictures as I took plenty, but I may not have time to sort
through them this weekend. Kato is leaving on her mission this coming
Wednesday (!!), so there's going to be a lot going on I'm sure-- but
things should cool down soon.
Beginning the trail to Delicate Arch on Saturday
The reward at the end of the trail (that's actually Jeff under the arch)
Thought I'd post a few pics from last weekend's trip to Moab / Arches.
Other logs of the trip: Crazy Pills & Heeble's.
First off, as an addendum to my last post where I knocked on wood about speeding and tickets? Hehehe... I got pulled over Friday night on my way down to Moab (as has been hinted at on comments in the previous post). Almost poetic justice.
So we're driving through Price, and there are cops everywhere (must be a hoppin' place on Friday nights). We've already seen a couple people pulled over. As far as I can tell, the speed limit is about 60 where we're at, and I get stuck in the left lane behind someone going 45 or 50. Frustrated, I change lanes to get around the slow poke and speed up to about 60. Just a few seconds later I see police lights flashing in my rear view window.
Me: Am I getting pulled over?!
After some initial disbelief by those in the car thinking I couldn't be getting pulled over, since I wasn't going that fast
Me: I'm getting pulled over!
Cop: Do you know why I pulled you over?
Me: Uh, I can only guess I was speeding...
Cop: Nope, you passed on the right on a highway, which is a moving violation.
Me: Oh! (I sounded legitimately surprised and dumbfounded, like "huh?"-- yeah I was clueless as to the law I had broken. Driver's ed was so long ago...)
He was a pretty nice guy, he explained that the moving violation would normally have a fine of 82 dollars or something and it would count a couple (few?) points on my record. I gave him my license and registration, he said he just wanted to make sure it checked out and that he'd probably just give me a warning. So with a friendly reminder about passing on the right, he let me off the hook with just a verbal warning. Phew. When we asked him if there was anything we could do he inferred that brighting the slow poke wasn't legal either and that the guy would have to be going slower than 45 in the left lane to be in violation of the law. What? Is brighting someone in front of you really illegal? Kinda sounds made up, but maybe I'm just ignorant.
It was just hilarious coming the same day that I had written up some rambling post about speeding and gloating that I hadn't gotten a ticket in 10 years. So you've been warned-- beware when driving through Price ;)
Moab was a great time. It felt like a really long weekend even though it was just a Saturday and Sunday. Saturday morning we were just being lazy and talking about how we'd probably be half-acing it up the trail to Delicate Arch. Then came one of the best lines of the weekend, from Jeff. He said something to the effect of- "It's the Sloan-Russell way: half-acing everything we do." Hahaha... that still cracks me up.
Great time in Moab... made up for the crappy weather we had last time.
